Improvement in life-boats



T. W. CASEY.

. Life-Boat.

Patented Nov. 6, 1877.

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I UNITED STATES lPATENT OEEICE;

^ THOMAS wqoAsEY, or BROOKLYN, NEWA YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN LIFE-BOATS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 196,974, dated November6, 1877; application filed Y August es, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, THOMAS W. CASEY, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kingsand State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Life-Boats 5 andI hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the same, reference being had tothe accompanyingdrawings, forming part of this specication.

My invention has for its object the construction of a life-boat whichenables its occupants to survive, in safety and comparative comfort, fora long time at sea, and which shall also be visible at a much fartherdistance than lifeboats usually are.

The invention partly consists in the combination, with a boat or vessel,of novel means for ballasting the same, and partly in thev novelconstruction of the hull of a boat or vessel for life-saving purposes atSea.

Figure l in the drawings represents a side view of the boat or vessel,and Fig. 2 a verti-l cal central section of the same.

Said boat or vessel is made with a concavoconvex bottom, A, preferably,but not necessarily, circular in form, and with a conical, conoidal, orpyramidal top, B, which completes the hull of the said boat or vessel.If the said bottom A be circular in plan, the said top B will be conicalin form. If the said bottom be elliptical in plan, said top will beconoidal in form. If the said bottom be angular in plan, said top willbe pyramidal inform.

In the lower part of the hull so constructed, I form a deck, C, Fig. 2,beneath which is a capacious hold, D, for storage of water andprovisions. Upon the said deck are arranged,

around the outer part of the'same, comforta-V tical wall, w, which cutsol and, together with the outer shell of the hull, incloses an annularair-space, a, which gives great steadiness to the vessel when iloatingon the. water, and

placed or 'adjusted in a socket, h, placed at thev said apex.

In the center of the said boat or vessel is placed a vertical tube, I,which extends through the deck C and bottom A, and which is open at itslower end. The upper end is closed, except that a small opening is leftfor the passage of the cord K. The said cord passes over a bent bar, p,or, if preferred, a pulleyblock may be substituted for the said bar.When the bent bar is used, it is pivoted at its ends, and plays easilyin suitable bearings attached to the inside of the upper part of theboat. To the lower end ofthe cord Kis attached a weight, YV, iitted toplay easily in the tube I. The Opposite end of the cord K is wound upona windlass, R, by means of which the weight W is raised or lowered toany required distance. The saidweight is made sufficiently heavy, andplaced directly under the center of gravity of the boat or vessel, andit has, by virtue of the manner of its attachment to the boat and itsposition relative thereto, such purchase upon the boat as to preventcapsizing, even in the roughest weather, and to bring the boat into anupright position, no matter in what position it may be thrown or castupon the water. l

The circular plan for the boat is preferred, as this form gives greatestcapacity with least material and weight, and also causes the adjustablecentral ballast weight to act with equal purchase in all directions.

In the boat or vessel thus constructed many persons may remain for along time in comparative comfort, protected from wind, sun, and rain,and the boat may carry a supply of provisions sufficient to last itsoccupants for weeks. The form of the boat also gives it greater altitudethan ordinary boats,- Vwhich enables the signals to be kept moreelevated, and increases the probability that the boat Will be discernedand succored by passing Vessels.

I do not broadly claim the central ballastweight, as the same has beenbefore employed; but

What I consider as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is as follows:

1. The combination, with the hull of a boat having the concavo-convexbottom A and conical, conoidal, or pyramidal top B, and centralballast-Weight W, attached to a rope for raising or lowering saidWeight, of a loop or pul- Witnesses: FRED. HAYNEs,

BENJAMIN N. HOFFMAN.

